The present invention is directed to frozen potato products, and more particularly to an improved french fry product having a lower calorie content in comparison with conventional french fries.
French fries, with their unique taste and ease of preparation, have long been popular as a convenience food. Perhaps the most prevailing reason that they aren't consumed more than they already are is the fact that they tend to be higher in calorie content than other types of potato foods. For example, a 3 ounce serving of a baked potato without butter or sour cream has about 80 calories while french fries of a fairly conventional size measuring, e.g. 1/2-1 inch on a side, might contain around 130 calories for a 3 ounce serving, and smaller "shoestring" type french fries measuring e.g. 1/4-1/2 inch on a side might have around 160 calories per serving. The higher calorie content associated with french fries is generally attributable to the oil that is absorbed during deep-fat frying of the potatoes.
It is a general object of the present invention to provide a novel process for preparing french fries that reduces their oil absorption, and hence reduces their calorie content, over conventional methods.
Various proposals for producing a french-fry-like product having reduced fat content are set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,812,274 and 4,269,861. In the process of the '274 patent, a cooked potato mash is extruded into strips, which are then subjected to hot-air treatments to provide a case-hardened crust on their outer surfaces. Apparently, the hardened surface reduces the amount of oil that is absorbed during frying.
The process disclosed in the '861 patent involves immersing french fry slices in hot oil, exposing them to hot, moist vapor, repeating the hot oil, vapor and hot oil treatments, and then exposing them to hot, dry atmosphere. This alternate oil and air treatment also produces a hardening, or "setting", of the exterior of the slices which reduces oil accumulation in the product.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel process for preparing lower calorie french fries that is not as complex and does not require as many lengthy processing steps as these prior art techniques.